Single trigger for firearms.



No. 704,025. Patented my s, 1902. E. n. FuLFRD.

SINGLE TBIGGEB FDR FIREARMS.

(Application led Aug. 21, 1901.)'

NVENTOIL ELIJIH J7. Fyzzfoz?.

*ma scusa? mncswwwns co. msumsron. u4 c.

j "UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

f- J. H. wnsrE-RYAND.IPAULNORTH,foroLnvEnANaoHiof SINGLE l iard-Genitori 'F'IiuEAR MS 77 SHPEOFICATION forgpart of Letters Patent m1704925, usted July' e, 1902,.v

.Application led August 21, 1901. ,Seria1N0.-72,735, (Ndmoaem To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAE D. FULFORD, of Utica, in the county'ef Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Single Triggers for Firearms; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will ,enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains toofmeeting all the numerous requirements of A a practicable and useful single trigger.

'In the drawings, Figure lshows in per# spective the working part ofthe mechanism, on an enlarged scale, in connection with contiguous proportions of thev firearm. Fig. 2

shows in perspective one ot' the sears.

shows Va side' elevation of substantially the same. parts from the opposite side with the parts in a somewhat changed position. Fig. 3 shows detailed partly in section of the triggerandits attached parts. Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows, on-an enlarged scale, in perspective apart or detail of the construction. Fig. 6 Fig. 7 shows a spring for depressing the trigger and its supports. Fig. 8 shows, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of 'a piston-head and portion of a piston-rod employed in the construction.

Referring to the references and'gu'res in a more particular description, 1 indicates the frame of a double barrel shotgun of. the breakdown construction. The frame has the ordinary upper tang 2 and-the lower tang or lock-plate'. Each barrel has a hammer therefor, (shown in dotted outline at 4:, and arranged in recesses in frame.) Each hammer has a spring and mechanism for cooking the hammer when the arm is broken down, asis usual in this class of arms. The ham- 4mers are secured in cock position by sears 5, which are the same on each side 'of the arm, except that they are rights and lefts. Tho sears are pivoted at 6 to the frame.

The single trigger 7 is arranged below the look-plate in the usual manner of triggersff" andV is provided with a web portion 7, passing t-hrough a slot inthe lock-plate. The infs'sl ternalportionof the trigger consists in the l The piston 10`has a small lgroove 101inits`.

edge to afford an air-passage. The pistonrod 12, passing through the head of the cyl-` inder, has secured on its outer end the head'- block 18'. The lower end of the block 13 is' 'arranged to straddle and ride ou the rearward extension 7d of the trigger and islprovided on either side of said extension with catches or hooks a, adapted to engage with the inwardly-extending projection 5a of the sears; On these extensions 5L the bottom of iff the projection' 5" acts as a catch-shoulder,

and there is also provided midway of the vertical sidetsee Fig. 6) a second or intermediate catch-shoulder.' y

' On the rear end of the trigger and preferably in a transverse slot or recess b ismounted and pivoted at c a rocking catch-piece 14. The

catch-piece or shifter 14 is adapted to engage with one or the other of the rear ends of the sears,dependin g on its position of adj ustment. For adjusting the position of the catch-piece 11ithere is provided'on the under side of the dock-plate a sliding thumb-piece 15, carrying an upright pin 16, passing through the opening provided therefor'in one end of the catch# Y j piece 14. The catch-piece is free to slide up and downl the pin 16 in following the movements of the trigger. Afork friction-spring 17 is provided on the inside ot the lock-plate to lrold the thumb-slide 15, except when forci bly moved inshiftingthe position ofthe catchpieoefli.

' Mounted on the post 18, provided on the.

,nsideof the ylock-plate to the rear of the triggerfsa spring-operated catch 19. This' catch Ico ALI

is arranged to be incapable of swinging above the position in ,which it is shown in Fig. 2.

' It is adapted to engage with a projection d on the heaftblock 13 and hold` it and connected parts in check against the action of spring 1l when the device is setready for operation. For resetting the operating parts of the trigger mechanism there is provided a short lever 20, pivoted at its lower end on pivot 8 and having attached at its upper-end thecont necting-har 21. The rear end of the bar 21 is pivoted to the rocking lever 22, pivoted on a common pivot with the'catch 19 in the up per -end of the projection or post 18. As shown, lever 22also constitutes a safety-catch for the lbwerfend, 4isadapte'd to engage with the rear' ot' the trigger,and the upper end is .erator through the medium of the'thumb# piece 23. AWhen the safety mechanism is not employed, the lever iscoupled o`r connected to bar -and the parts areretracted withfthe bar 25 by the action of spring 27. It is obvions that the connection with the bar 25 and vlthe bar 2O may be omitted and a separate spring provided for returning the lever 20 and its'. connected part-s to normal position when the safety mechanism is not employed. 0n the connecting-bar 21 is provided a Shoulder projection 28, adapted to engage With the top ofthe head-block 13 and reset these parts. The spring 30, contained in the sliding cap 31,4which is jmounted on the downwardly-projecting post 32, is providedl to force the trigger downwardly. j

The arrangement of the hammer and sear istpret'erably sucirthat when the hammers are down the rear end of the sears Will be `oammed or thrown up slightly. This is accomplished by making the hammer adjacent to the scar-catch notch rather full.

rEhe operation of the mechanism, so far as it is deemed essential to specify, is substantially as follows: Vhen the top lever 26 is thrown to one side, as indicated in Fig. 1, preparatory to breaking the gun down and changing the load, the catch-bar 25 engages with the lever 20, forcing the connecting-bar 21 toward the rear. The distance that bar 2l moves is multiplied vby reason oi the class ot' lever employed. In moving to the rear projection 28 engages `.vit-h the head-block 13 and draws the piston 10, with its connected parte, toward the rear against the tension of spring 1l and until the parts are caught and held by catch 19. kThe lever 22 is also by the same operation thrown into the position shown. in Fig. 1, where the lower end engages with the triggerand prevents its operation. When the gun is broken down, the hammers are placed in cocked position.

The catch-plate 14 may be adjusted to engage with the scar of either the right or lett hand barrel.

hand barrel. When the safety-catch is moved to free the trigger, the arm can be tired by pulling the trigger, and, as shown, this operates on the trigger of the right barrel, which causes that Vbarrel to be fired. At thesametime that the trigger is moved'up in this operation the. projection CZ on the head 13 is moved above the range of the catch 19, and this releases the head and connected parts,

including the catches a, which were held by catch 19 in a primerrily-disconnected position. Under influence lot spring 11 these. pantsgaro moved tonr'ardfthejfront of the gun when' released from catchi19`.l I This movement is conand accompanying parts are making' the? movement last described. The speed ot' the movement can be regulated by the tension of the'springand the lit of the piston in the cylinder, aswell as bythe size ot' the air-passage 10 in the piston. At the completion of the forward movement of the head -13 the hooks a come'into engagement with the under side of'the projection 5L of the sear, or,

As shown in the drawings, itisI adj usted toengage with the sear of the rightmore strictly. speaking, in contact with the projection of the scar which has not. been previously operated. 'This connects the trigger to the unoperated sear, and the next voluntary'pull of the trigger is communicated to this sear. In case the trigger fails to become entirely depressed 4before engaging with the projection 5 the hook a may find an engageprojection, and the range of movement of the trigger is sufficient to operate the sear substantially as though the better hold on the lower side ot' the projection is had. The rear ot' the scar being cammed up, as before mentioned, by the hammer when down, in operating the second sear the first-operated scar is out of range of movement of the trigger mechanism, so that no more force is required to operate the secondy scar than is required in operating the first.

W hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a single-trigger mechanism the combination of sears each having two points of engagement as between the sears and triggers, a trigger, au adjustable catch-piece on the trigger' arranged to engage with one or the other of the sears at the first point of engagement, a movable catch arranged to engage with the second points of engagement et both sears, means Lor moving said catch and means Ament with the intermediate shoulder on this for holding the same in check and releasing upon the first movement of the triggersubstantially as set forth. Y

2. The combination in a singletrigger mechanism of the sears, the trigger having an adjustable catch-piene adapted to engage With one only at a time of the sears,a cylinder mounted on said trigger, a piston and spring in the cylinder, a movable catch attached to said piston and adapted to engage with the sears,nreans for moving said catches and piston, means for securing and releasing said catches upon the rst movement of saidtriggerend means for resetting the parts substantially as set forth. Y

8. -In asingle-trigger mechanism, the combination of two searg, a trigger, a shiftercatch and a movable catch both -mountedon the trigger and adapted to engage with the sears, means for adjusting the shifter-catch, an air-cushion for retarding the movement of and means for securing, releasing and resettin-g 4the movable catch, substantially as -set forth.l

4. In a single-trigger mechanism the combination with the frame-hammers and sears of a single trigger, having a cylinder, piston and operating-spring therefor mounted thereon, av movable catch connected with said piston for operating on the sears an adjustable catch also mounted on the trigger'for engaging with the sears, a catch for securing the -movable catch and parts in check and a resetting device substantially as sett forth.

' 5. The combination with the sears andhante mechanism of the trigger and sears, a movable, primarily-disconnected vcatch between the trigger and sears, means formoving said catch into locking engagement with the sears,-

means for securing and for releasing said catch upon the irst operation of the trigger and a cylinder and piston connected with said catch forretarding by an aircushion or pressure the movement of vsaid catch, substantially as set forth.

In kWitness whereof I have axed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of August, 1901.

ELIJAH D. rULFoRD.

Witnesses:

E. WILLARD JONES,- VW. N. BARBIN. 

